Customer Servicehttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/4559/all
enApple May Soon Provide In-Store Support for Damaged Beats Headphoneshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_may_soon_provide_instore_support_damaged_beats_headphones
<!--paging_filter--><p>Most commentators tend to agree that Apple mainly bought Beats for a head start into music streaming, but the Cupertino giant has repeatedly shown its willingness to support the headphone lineup that first made Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's brand such a big name. According to a new report, that may also mean that Apple will start letting Beats customers take their devices up to their local Genius Bars for repair.</p><p><a href="http://techingreek.com/apple-analamvani-to-service-ton-akoustikon-kai-ixion-beats-apoklistiko/" target="_blank">TechInGreek</a> reportedly learned the news from an e-mail that was sent out to official Apple service providers this morning (pictured below). The e-mail doesn't specify a date for when Apple support for Beats products would go into effect, but it does claim that in "the near future, Apple will be responsible for providing service to customers with Beats Electronics...and accessories."</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/10/beats.jpg" width="620" height="362" /></p><p>Rumors from the past few weeks <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reportedly_preparing_ditch_beats_streaming_music_service_updated" target="_blank">suggest</a> that Apple will eventually strip the Beats name from its streaming service and incorporate it into iTunes, but it looks as though Apple plans to lets the Beats headphone business thrive as its own entity. The headphones currently enjoy prime placement in Apple's physical stores, and they boast their own subsection of the Apple Online Store.</p><p>Indeed, if anything, Beats looks as though it will command an even stronger presence on Apple properties in the future. The Cupertino company ordered all Bose headphones and speakers off the shelves from its retail stores the same day <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/bose_drops_patent_suit_against_apples_beats_following_settlement" target="_blank">word leaked of a settlement</a> with Bose over <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/bose_files_lawsuit_against_beats_citing_five_patent_infringements" target="_blank">noise-cancelling patents</a>, thus prodding customers to buy Beats.</p><p>Notably, the removal also occurred after the NFL fined 49s quarterback Colin Kaepernick $10,000 for wearing Beats headphones despite a contract with Bose that only allows the players to use Bose equipment in most public situations. Today, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kaepernick-tapes-over-beats-logo-2014-10" target="_blank">BusinessInsider</a> reported that Kaepernick defiantly continued to wear his Beats by simply slapping some tape over the Beats logo, and elsewhere (via <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24749691/cam-newton-ignores-colin-kaepernick-fine-wears-beats-headphones" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a>), Panthers quarterback Cam Newton continued to wear his openly despite the possibility of a fine.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer, <a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_may_soon_provide_instore_support_damaged_beats_headphones#commentsNewsBeatsBoseColin KaepernickCustomer ServiceDr. DreHeadphonesJimmy IovinesupportTue, 14 Oct 2014 23:28:42 +0000Leif Johnson20782 at http://www.maclife.comApple Launches Program to Repair Faulty iPhone 5 Sleep Buttons for Freehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_launches_program_repair_faulty_iphone_5_sleep_buttons_free
<!--paging_filter--><p>Lately some iPhone 5 users have had issues getting the Sleep/Wake<span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;</span>buttons on the top of their devices to work, and today Apple announced that it's willing to fix the problem with no cost to the user. Apple claims that the problem only affects a "small percentage" of the devices, but the Cupertino company also provided <a href="https://ssl.apple.com/support/iphone5-sleepwakebutton/" target="_blank">a support page</a> that determines if you qualify for the free support.</p><p>The one significant catch is that you can't simply have the faulty device replaced at an Apple retail store; instead, you'll have to ship the device off to an Apple Repair Center either on your own or from an Apple Store. In addition, the whole turnaround could take around a week. On the bright side, apparently some Apple stores are offering "loaner" 16 GB iPhone 5 models so you won't be phoneless for the duration.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/04/sleepwake.jpg" width="620" height="372" /></p><p>Should you take advantage of the offer, Apple requires that you back up your phone's data to your hard drive and then delete all of your content and settings from the phone itself before sending it in. If you've already paid for an out-of-warranty fix for this problem, you can contact Apple and request a refund. You should act quickly, however; Apple claims that the replacement program will only be in place for two years after you bought the device, meaning that the earliest adopters only have around half a year left to take advantage of the offer.</p><p>Oh, and one big catch for those of you who haven't upgraded to iOS 7. If you send in your device to Apple for the Sleep button issue, you'll receive it back with Apple's latest mobile operating system.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_launches_program_repair_faulty_iphone_5_sleep_buttons_free#commentsNewsCustomer ServicedefectsiphoneRepair CenterrepairsSat, 26 Apr 2014 00:06:06 +0000Leif Johnson19832 at http://www.maclife.comApple Reported to Start Charging for Chat Support for Out-of-Warranty Productshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reported_start_charging_chat_support_outofwarranty_products
<!--paging_filter--><p>In the past, Apple has at least allowed customers to chat about out-of-warranty products via its online support sections, but in the future, <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/28/apple-will-soon-charge-for-out-of-warranty-online-chat-support-schedule-repairs-via-new-web-payment-system/" target="_blank">9to5Mac</a> reports, it's (usually) going to cost you. The push for paid chat support is part of a larger effort by Apple to bring other features to its online services, such as the ability to pay for product repairs and replacements over the Internet.</p><p>It's actually not as big of a change as it sounds. Apple already charges fees over the phone for support for out-of-warranty products not covered by AppleCare; the new rules would merely extend that policy to chat services as well. At least it's cheaper. Phone assistance can cost you anywhere from $29 to $49, whereas chatting over the Internet will only cost you $19.99. Details aren't clear, but apparently chatters will be able to request an exemption from the fee as well.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/02/online-paid-chat-support.jpg" width="620" height="372" /></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/28/apple-will-soon-charge-for-out-of-warranty-online-chat-support-schedule-repairs-via-new-web-payment-system/" target="_blank">9to5Mac</a></strong></p><p>As stated above, the new system will also allow you to pay for repairs through the support site. In 9to5Mac's words, "we're told Apple plans to offer the ability to set up hardware repairs via chat that require a hold on a credit card or pay per incident fee. Rather than having to call in, users will be sent a link that's live for 24 hours in order to complete the payment."</p><p>The fees have technically been around since Apple <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/redesigned_applecare_website_rolling_out_247_chat" target="_blank">overhauled its customer service to support chat 24/7</a>, but reportedly they've never been enforced since Apple never officially launched the new paid service. That may change as early as next week, though, but Apple will still allegedly exempt any chats about iCloud issues or reports of accidental damage in which customers ask for repairs or replacements through chat.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reported_start_charging_chat_support_outofwarranty_products#commentsNewsappleAppleCarechatCustomer ServiceiPadiphoneiPod touchMacsupportFri, 28 Feb 2014 23:47:31 +0000Leif Johnson19457 at http://www.maclife.comTwitter, Tumblr, Pinterest All Affected by Zendesk Security Breachhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/twitter_tumblr_pinterest_all_affected_zendesk_security_breach
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/zendesk_200px.png" alt="Zendesk" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Another day, another security breach at a technology company. But this one has hit Zendesk, a company providing customer service software, which means others are also being affected.<br /><br />As first noted in an email from Tumblr to affected customers Thursday night, <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/?p=54338" target="_blank">Wired is reporting</a> that a security breach at <a href="http://www.zendesk.com" target="_blank">Zendesk</a> also affects Twitter and Pinterest users as well -- but apparently, only customers who have had interaction with customer service at some point in the past.<br /><br />"We’ve become aware that a hacker accessed our system this week," <a href="http://www.zendesk.com/blog/weve-been-hacked" target="_blank">a blog post from Zendesk</a> reads. "As soon as we learned of the attack, we patched the vulnerability and closed the access that the hacker had."<br /><br />Zendesk has narrowed the scope of the attack to the three clients above, with email addresses and email subject lines potentially stolen from customers who contacted these companies for support.<br /><br />Three isn't such a big number considering Zendesk touts more than 25,000 clients on its website, and the hack does not appear to involve passwords of any kind. Wired sources also claim Tumblr, Twitter and Pinterest have yet to report any user accounts that have been compromised as part of this attack.<br /><br />Zendesk is a service that allows companies to essentially outsource some of its customer service using software.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/twitter_tumblr_pinterest_all_affected_zendesk_security_breach#commentsNewsclientsCustomer ServicecustomershackersPinterestsecurity breachessoftwareTumblrTwitterZendeskMacFri, 22 Feb 2013 13:17:42 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16298 at http://www.maclife.comApple Reigns Supreme in Customer Satisfaction Againhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reigns_supreme_customer_satisfaction_again
<!--paging_filter--><p>Apple has done it again.&nbsp; In a poll of 70,000 consumers by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, Apple continues to rule the roost when it comes to consumer satisfaction over other computer manufacturers.</p><p>Currently, Apple is one point up on 2011, and holds a nine point lead over the next closest competitor. But why does Apple continue to dominate when it comes to consumer satisfaction?&nbsp; "In the eight years that Apple has led the PC industry in customer satisfaction, its stock price has increased by 2,300%," says Claes Fornell, founder of the ASCI.&nbsp; "Apple's winning combination of innovation and product diversification -- including spinning off technologies into entirely new directions - has kept the company consistently at the leading edge."<br /><br />Check out the survey results:</p><p><img src="/files/u220907/asci.jpg" alt="asci" width="620" height="349" /></p><p><em>(Image courtesy of ZDNet)</em></p><p>Do you agree with Claes' statements?&nbsp; What is that special something that Apple has that others don't?&nbsp; Feel free to leave your comments below!<br /><em><br />via <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/apple-tops-customer-satisfaction-index-once-again/14890">ZDNet</a></em><br /><em><br />Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mtilmann">Matthew Tilmann on Twitter</a></em><br /><em><br />(Image courtesy of www.pda-247.com)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reigns_supreme_customer_satisfaction_again#commentsNewsappleASCIcustomer satisfactionCustomer ServicereliabilityWed, 21 Sep 2011 02:03:22 +0000Matthew Tilmann12423 at http://www.maclife.comAT&T: No New iPhone This Summer, According to Applehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/att_no_new_iphone_summer_according_apple
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/att_logo_200px.jpg" alt="AT&amp;T logo" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />If you’re one of the remaining few still holding out hope for a new iPhone next month, you may want to sit down for this -- an AT&amp;T representative claims that Apple has informed the carrier there will be no new iPhone in the traditional June or July timeframe.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/05/04/atandt-rep-apple-has-told-us-no-new-iphone-in-june-or-july/" target="_blank">MacRumors is reporting</a> that whispers of a September iPhone refresh now seem all but certain, with an AT&amp;T customer care representative claiming that Apple has informed the company there will be no new iPhone released during the traditional June-July timeframe which started with the original model in 2007.<br /><br />“The disclosure came after the [MacRumors] reader noticed that his eligibility date for a subsidized upgrade had been pushed back by over five months and contacted AT&amp;T to inquire about the reason for the change,” the report reveals. “As part of a response outlining AT&amp;T's criteria for determining upgrade eligibility dates, the agent reportedly offered the following statement as fact.”<br /><br />“Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future,” the AT&amp;T response said. “Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.”<br /><br />MacRumors is rightfully skeptical about reporting such information from a customer care representative, since they are rarely privy to sensitive information such as a new iPhone release prior to an announcement from Apple.<br /><br />However, given that the traditional April iOS software preview didn’t happen this year, the recent release of the white iPhone 4 and Apple’s focus on iOS and Mac OS X at WWDC next month, we wouldn’t hold our breath for an iPhone 5 any earlier than September.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/att_no_new_iphone_summer_according_apple#commentsNewsApple Inc.AT&TAT&T iPhoneCustomer Serviceiphone 5iPhone LaunchJulyJuneseptemberiPhoneWed, 04 May 2011 12:32:18 +0000J.R. Bookwalter10856 at http://www.maclife.comiPads Used to Feed Hungry Travelershttp://www.maclife.com/article/ipad/ipads_used_feed_hungry_travelers
<!--paging_filter--><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="/files/u286882/airportlounge.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Anyone that has traveled this past year knows what a drag it can be. Between having to struggle with fed-up inflight staff, <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/mac/tsa_116_inch_macbook_air_can_stay_bags_security_checkpoints" target="_self">TSA</a> pat-down searches, increasingly expensive fares and the threat of terrorist attacks, it’s a wonder why anyone bothers trying to get airborne at all.&nbsp; Thankfully, the folks from OTG Management--an airport catering company that works behind the scenes in terminals across the country--have implemented a few changes to how they do business to make your journey into the wild blue yonder more efficient and ever-so-much more <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/50_things_every_mac_geek_should_know" target="_self">geeky</a>. In an effort to provide the patrons of their airport lounge locations with a restaurant quality dining experience, the company has unveiled a program that will streamline the meal selection process for hundreds of hungry travelers a day, thanks in part to the ingenious use of a built-to-order <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/maclife_ipad_app_goes_live" target="_self">iPad</a> menu system.<br /><br />By offering the winning combination of world-class cuisine from a wide variety of restaurants, expedient service, and slathering it all up in the awesome sauce of Apple technology, OTG Management has set the stage for our expectations of what an airport dining experience can be on its ear.&nbsp; Travelers can order their meals from a wide selection of cuisine advertised on the catering company’s custom-developed iPad menu application. While they wait for their orders to arrive, the diners are encouraged to use their table’s iPad to check on the status of their flights, play a game or browse through a periodical or two. In no time at all, the meal the diner selected is delivered to their table. Not too shabby at all!<br /><br />Currently, the iPad-enhanced dining experience is only available at New York’s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, but if the service is the success that it appears it could very well become, you could have the opportunity to enjoy the same slick dining experience at an airport near you in the not too distant future.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/SeamusBellamy" target="_blank">Seamus Bellamy on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/ipad/ipads_used_feed_hungry_travelers#commentsNewsAirportCustomer ServicemenusresturanttravelInterfaceiPadFri, 19 Nov 2010 13:10:09 +0000Seamus Bellamy8990 at http://www.maclife.comApple Tops Polls in Customer Service Satisfactionhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_tops_polls_customer_service_satisfaction
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u286882/vocalabs.jpg" width="380" height="255" /></p><p>With <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/10_reasons_microsofts_mac_vs_pc_wrong" target="_self">Microsoft</a> having fired the <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/microsoft_revives_pc_versus_mac" target="_self">first salvo</a> in what's sure to be the latest round of the Mac versus PC war, it seems that Apple has had an unlikley ally come to the fore to reinforce them in battle: Glowing statitistics concerning the quality of their <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_tech_support_tops_charts" target="_self">tech support</a>. According to a new study from <a href="http://www.vocalabs.com/" target="_blank">Vocalabs</a>, when things go wrong in the Apple universe, Apple provides the best customer care experience out over some of the world's largest computer hardware manufacturers.</p><p>According to the report, Apple's customer satisfaction with tech support was 22% higher than the company's closest rival, Hewlett Packard. When polled by Vocalabs--who had conducted the survey by contacting 2,112 people to ask how they felt about the service they had been given a short time after finishing off a tech support call--66% of the individuals asked respondents that they were "very satisified" with the results they received. The survey's results point to the quality of Apple's customer service agents as a possible culprit for the high number of satisfied callers, as 82% of the people asked said they were happy with the quality of Apple's support staff.</p><p>Gadget news portal <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/12/apple.trumps.dell.and.hp.in.phone.help/" target="_blank">Electronista</a> speculates that Apple's ability to win frustrated hearts and minds may also be attributed to the fact that their hardware and software offerings may also be to blame for the numbers being stated by the report. After all, when you control the hardware, software and limit the number of variations of both that are made available to consumers, those working the phones in a support center will have a much easier time in trying to isolate the root of an issue, as there are only so many things that could be causing it. When stacked up against the infinite number of issues that can come from the infinite number of hardware and software combinations that PC users must tolerate, one can see why Apple's call center employees might have something of an edge over their contemporaries working for Dell and HP.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_tops_polls_customer_service_satisfaction#commentsNewsappleCustomer ServiceDellHPstatisticsThu, 12 Aug 2010 19:16:29 +0000Seamus Bellamy7918 at http://www.maclife.comApple Improves To Third Place In Customer Servicehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_improves_third_place_customer_service
<!--paging_filter--><p><img alt="CustService2" class="graphic-right" height="96" src="/files/u220907/CustService2.jpg" width="135" /><em>Bloomberg BusinessWeek's</em> fourth annual customer service rankings show that Apple has increased from 20th to 3rd when it comes to customer service, according to <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2010/02/22/apple-ranks-third-in-businessweek-customer-service-rankings/">MacRumors</a>. Apple finished behind catalogue retailer L.L. Bean and insurance company USAA. <br /><br />According to the results, which brought together data from consumer firm J.D. Power, with survey results from over 1,000 of the magazine's own readers, Apple received an A+ score in ratings for both &quot;quality of staff&quot; and &quot;efficiency of service.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;The company's sleek devices and user-friendly software aren't its only innovations. Appointments at Apple's 'Genius Bars' and its roving in-store checkout clerks are just two ways the company has pioneered new approaches to customer service. The iPhone maker likely got a bump this year as more companies created customer-friendly apps for their own services, helping to burnish Apple's customer service brand.&quot;<br /><br />Other factors in the survey showed respondents would &quot;definitely recommend&quot; the Apple brand at 66% and would &quot;definitely repurchase&quot; from Apple at 58%. Dell was the only other computer maker to make the list of top 25 companies, ranking in 23rd place. <br /><br />Apple had previously been ranked 21st in 2008 and then 18th in 2007. This year's improvement was based on a leap in the &quot;quality of staff&quot; category.<br /><br /><em>Image courtesy of insidesocal.com</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_improves_third_place_customer_service#commentsNewsappleCustomer ServiceMon, 22 Feb 2010 15:33:25 +0000Matthew Tilmann6070 at http://www.maclife.com